Cartec

What Cartec does

Cartec B.V. (operating as 'Cartec Ingenious Car Care') is a Dutch specialty chemicals company that develops and manufactures professional car care products, including cleaning agents, polishing compounds, paint correction systems, ceramic coatings, and wax protectants. Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Benthuizen, Netherlands, the company sells a portfolio organized into integrated product lines: Colorline (12 color-coded cleaning and maintenance products), Refinish (a complete polishing compound system engineered for hologram-free paint correction, including Diamond Cut 3000, Rapid Cut 4000, Final Cut 9000, Ultra Finish 12000, WaxCoat, Hybrid Wax, and Panel Spray), Royal Care (a car wash station line including Royal Shield, Royal Wheel, and Royal Foam), and Essentials (a retail/DIY consumer sub-brand). Cartec also distributes its own branded Cartec Orbi and Cartec Roty polishing machines and resells Flex-brand professional power tools, alongside supporting accessories (microfiber, abrasive foam discs, dosing systems, buckets, wall holders, nitrile gloves).

The business operates a hybrid B2B and B2C go-to-market model with operations confined to the Netherlands and Belgium. Professional customers — auto detailers, body shops, car washes, mobile cleaners, and vehicle reconditioners — purchase through a dealer network by ordering via the B2B platform at cartec.nl, with delivery within three working days and invoicing handled directly by dealers. Cartec self-distributes in both countries and runs a paid training academy at its Mijdrecht facility (Colorline Training and Refinish & Ceramic Guard Training, capped at 5 persons per session). Consumer Essentials products are distributed through over 200 certified retail and online outlets in the Netherlands under the 'Geautoriseerde Cartec Webshop' quality mark, plus the cartecessentials.com direct channel. A dedicated 'Startende ondernemer' (start-up entrepreneur) program targets new entrants in vehicle reconditioning with starter packages and structured workflows.

Revenue is generated primarily through one-time product sales across professional chemicals, consumer retail, training services, and power tools, with B2B pricing account-based and not publicly disclosed. The company employs 51-100 people, is privately held with no disclosed external funding, no parent company, no institutional investment, and no M&A, partnership, or leadership changes recorded in the available data. Cartec self-positions as one of the largest providers of professional car care products in the Netherlands and Belgium after more than 35 years of operation.

Name

Cartec

Legal name

Cartec B.V.

Website

https://cartec.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Cartec B.V. is a Dutch specialty chemicals company that develops professional car care products — cleaning agents, polishing compounds, ceramic coatings, and branded power tools — for detailers, body shops, and car washes in the Netherlands and Belgium, sold through a dealer network and 200+ certified retail outlets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Automotive Car Care Products

NAICS

Motor Vehicle Supplies and New Parts Merchant Wholesalers (42312), Motor Vehicle and Motor Vehicle Parts and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (4231)

SIC

Wholesale-Motor Vehicles & Motor Vehicle Parts & Supplies (5010), Wholesale-Motor Vehicle Supplies & New Parts (5013)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYCRAOAGAM

Car Wash, Auto Detailing & Vehicle Cleaning Supplies Distribution

Consumer Products & Retail/Wholesale, Distribution & Category Management/Household, Cleaning & Janitorial (JanSan) Distribution

Keywords

• Professional car care chemicals
• Automotive paint correction
• Ceramic coating products
• Vehicle polishing systems
• Car detailing supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Bleiswijk

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Professional Car Care Products (B2B): Cartec generates revenue primarily from selling professional-grade car care products (cleaning, polishing, paint correction, protection) to professional users through its dealer network. Dealers place orders via the B2B online platform (cartec.nl) and resell to auto detailers, body shops, car washes, and vehicle reconditioning businesses. Pricing is account-based and not publicly listed.
2. Cartec Essentials Consumer Products (Retail/DIY): Cartec sells its Essentials consumer product line through physical retail outlets and authorized online webshops in the Netherlands. Consumers can purchase via Geautoriseerde Cartec Webshop (Authorized Cartec Webshop) certified online stores or at hundreds of physical car care stores and gas stations listed on the outlets page.
3. Professional Training Programs: Cartec offers paid professional training programs (Colorline Training and Refinish & Ceramic Guard Training) for car care professionals, conducted at its training facility in Mijdrecht, Netherlands, with a maximum of 5 persons per session.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cartec B.V. manufactures and distributes a complete range of professional automotive car care products, including cleaning agents, polishing compounds, paint correction systems, ceramic coatings, and wax protectants, sold primarily through a B2B dealer network in the Netherlands and Belgium. The company also offers a separate consumer-facing Essentials retail line distributed through physical and online retail outlets, and delivers certified training programs (Colorline Training, Refinish & Ceramic Guard Training) for car care professionals.

Product overview

Cartec B.V. is a Dutch professional car care products company with over 35 years of experience, developing cleaning, protection, and polishing products for cars and vehicles. The company operates a business-to-business e-commerce platform (cartec.nl) serving professional markets in the Netherlands and Belgium. The product portfolio consists of multiple integrated product lines: Colorline (color-coded cleaning and maintenance products for professional detailing), Refinish (complete polishing system with compounds, finishing products, and protective coatings including Diamond Cut 3000, Rapid Cut 4000, Final Cut 9000, Ultra Finish 12000, WaxCoat, Hybrid Wax), Essentials (retail-focused sub-brand for hobbyists), Royal Care (car wash products including Royal Wheel, Royal Shield, Royal Foam), and Training Services (Colorline Training and Refinish & Ceramic Guard Training). Supporting products include professional power tools (Cartec Orbi and Roty polishing machines, Flex brand machines), accessories (microfiber towels, polishing pads, abrasive discs), equipment (buckets, dosing systems, wall holders), and safety equipment (disposable gloves).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cartec Essentials: A retail product line for car enthusiasts, weekend detailers and hobbyists featuring essential products from the professional range available through retail channels.

Products and services

• Colorline Colorline is a color-coded product system designed for professional auto detailers and reconditioning specialists, providing a structured approach to cleaning, polishing, and protecting vehicles. The system pairs specific products, pads, and processes matched by color for consistent, reproducible results.
• Refinish Refinish is Cartec's paint correction and polishing system for professional detailers and body shops, encompassing cutting compounds, polishes, and finishing products such as Ultra Finish 12000 and Diamond Cut 3000. The system supports multi-stage paint correction workflows.
• Royal Care Royal Care is a professional car care product line for valeting, detailing, and protection, marketed to car care professionals and dealerships for premium vehicle care services.
• Essentials Essentials is Cartec's consumer retail product line designed for car enthusiasts and end users, distributed through physical retail outlets and authorized online webshops in the Netherlands and Belgium.
• Colorline Training Colorline Training is a certified training program for professional car care providers, teaching the systematic use of the Colorline product range in detailing, reconditioning, and valeting workflows.
• Refinish & Ceramic Guard Training Refinish & Ceramic Guard Training is a certified professional training program covering paint correction techniques using the Refinish system and the application of Ceramic Guard protective coatings.
• Cartec Orbi Polijstmachine The Cartec Orbi Polijstmachine is a Cartec-branded orbital polishing machine designed for professional detailers to support paint correction and polishing workflows.
• Cartec Roty Polijstmachine The Cartec Roty Polijstmachine is a Cartec-branded rotary polishing machine designed for professional detailers to support paint correction and polishing workflows.

Quantifiable outcome

• Wet Coat provides protection lasting up to three months
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Gtechniq: UK-based manufacturer specializing in professional ceramic coatings and paint protection, with an accredited detailer network. Directly comparable to Cartec's Ceramic Guard / Refinish / Hybrid Wax offering, though narrower in chemistry scope and more coating-centric.
• Bilt Hamber: UK-based car care chemical manufacturer with a strong professional and consumer following, particularly in detailing and pre-wax cleaners. Comparable specialty chemistry and dealer-led distribution model.

Direct peers

• Sonax: German professional and consumer car care brand offering polishing, cleaning, and coating products via dealer networks and retail. Competes head-to-head with Cartec in body-shop, detailer, and DIY channels across Europe.
• Autoglym: UK-based professional car care products manufacturer with a structured product line spanning cleaning, polishing and protection. Comparable to Cartec via specialty chemistry focus, professional-channel distribution, and consumer retail extensions.
• Swissvax: Swiss premium car care brand known for Carnauba wax systems, polishes, and detailing accessories sold via specialist dealers worldwide. Comparable to Cartec in premium positioning, system-based product lines, and dealer-led professional distribution.
• Koch-Chemie: German-based manufacturer of professional car care chemistry (polishing compounds, coatings, wash chemicals) sold through professional detailers and dealers across Europe. Directly comparable to Cartec in product range, professional focus, training programs, and color/system-based product organization.

Broad incumbents

• Meguiar's (3M): Global car care brand (owned by 3M) with extensive professional and consumer polishing/coating/cleaning product lines. Competes broadly with Cartec across professional detailers and DIY retail, with much larger R&D, marketing, and geographic reach.
• Turtle Wax: Large US-based mass-market car care brand spanning wash, polish, coating and interior care, with broad retail distribution. Comparable to Cartec's Essentials consumer range and the polishing/coating technology stack, but at a very different scale and price tier.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cartec-bv

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cartec